


A Talk by the Lake

by Kooki_914



Category: Deltarune (Video Game)
Genre: Hometown Park, Kris is mentioned - Freeform, Lancer is mentioned, M/M, Mild Language, Mild Midlife Crisis, Post-Deltarune Chapter One, Pseudo-Exile, Susie is mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:55:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26671765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kooki_914/pseuds/Kooki_914
Summary: Asgore offers his home to the Spade "King", after he was practically exiled by Lancer for a while in order to learn how to make friends with lightners. Unfortunately, Spade doesn't seem very grateful for this favour at first.The dark world and light world are slowly learning to coexist, and I hope the addition of later chapters doesn't make this fic look like it's on even more crack.
Relationships: Asgore Dreemurr/King of Spades (Deltarune), Spadesgore
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7





	A Talk by the Lake

Asgore woke up in his truck. He’d been trying to sleep, but the seat proved more uncomfortable than he thought. He wanted to make his guest as comfortable as possible, and that included giving him his bed, since he was too big to fit in the truck…  
Asgore sat up in his seat a bit, and looked up at the sky through his window. It was pitch black, with the stars shimmering softly, the light from the town putting them out ever so slightly. It reminded Asgore how his guest was from a completely different world. He’d honestly felt embarrassed to ask about it, since he treats it like “darkners” and “lightners” are common, well known terms. Asgore was honestly curious, but Spade seemed less than eager to discuss things with him. Hell, the only reason Spade was staying with Asgore was because he had nowhere else to go. Absentmindedly, Asgore looked through the other windows, and he saw a figure by the lake. Unmistakable, the large, rounded shadow was Spade’s silhouette, but what was he doing outside so late?  
Asgore opened the door to his side and peeked over towards the lake once he was outside. Spade clearly heard him, but offered only a passive glance in Asgore’s direction. He went right back to staring out at the lake. Asgore now had a hunch as to why Spade was outside, but didn’t exactly want to jump to conclusions. Asgore made his way back inside his shop, then upstairs. Sure enough, the bed wasn’t exactly made, but that’s not why Asgore was upstairs. He gently took the large, dark cloth resting over his TV, and headed back outside.  
Even when he was only a few meters away from Spade, he didn’t so much as acknowledge he was there. It was clear why Spade was here, but that didn’t stop Asgore from keeping him company. With a few more steps and a simple hand motion, Asgore draped Spade’s long cape around his shoulders.  
“Evening!” Asgore said, as he sat down to the right of Spade before he could object to it.  
“What… What are you doing out here, lightner?!” Spade’s voice was demanding, yet exhausted.  
“I thought I’d keep you company!” Asgore smiled, “it’s very lonely out here…”  
“The whole point is that I be alone, you idiot.” Dismissive and cold, Spade’s reasoning was just as Asgore thought.  
“I… I know… But, it seemed like you were getting cold out here, so-” He was interrupted by Spade’s low growl of a response.

“Save it, and leave me be already.” Spade looked back out at the lake, literally giving Asgore the cold shoulder. Asgore stayed quiet for a moment, and turned the direction Spade was facing. The water was weakly glistening with the moonlight, meek ripples making vague gestures towards the direction of the wind’s whims. As far as the eye could see, it was dark, and the murmur of the branches and leaves left a soft, but cold impression in the night. Asgore looked back at Spade, but he was unmoved, unnaturally so. He was avoiding conversation, or he was avoiding Asgore altogether.  
“… You… don’t want to be here at all, do you?” Asgore’s tone was more akin to whisper now.  
“Clearly.” Spade was being dismissive, as usual. But Asgore had something else on his mind.  
“… The children told me they met you before…” he thought of Kris and their new friend. They had stopped by earlier that day, apparently concerned after having learned that Spade was in town.  
“‘Met’ is an understatement.” Spade’s tone noticeably changed, but to what feeling it was conveying, Asgore couldn’t tell yet.  
Spade continued, “THEY are the reason I'm exiled in the first place. My throne, my palace, my whole KINGDOM... they robbed me of it.” His voice was sharp, but turned almost solemn as he went on: “Put my son into power, just to use him for their own, light-fuelled needs…”  
“… I see…” This all struck Asgore as very odd. He smiled for a moment, “They told me a slightly different story, you know.”  
“As if hearing it will change my mind.” Spade was quick to deflect. The changing of minds wasn’t the point, and he knew… or at the very least, Asgore THOUGHT Spade knew.  
“Well, maybe not, but I still think you should know.” Asgore offered another patient smile.  
“Fine then, spit it out already! The faster you tell it, the sooner you will leave.” Spade said.

Asgore’s expression changed back to a worried one, and a moment of silence passed before he spoke again.  
“They said you tried to kill them… sending your troops after them…” Asgore’s troubling words garnered no response, so he had to press on “They even said you… threatened your own son…?”  
Spade let out a chuckle, an admittedly unusual reaction to an accusation like that, but Spade knew what was coming. He had heard those concerns oh so many times by now, even if said event happened at most a week ago. He knew what Asgore was about to say, he knew the predictable pattern of un-pleasantries that would transpire, so he let it.  
“And what of it?” a quick reply, that answered none of Asgore’s questions. He stayed silent, unsure how to answer such an unpredictable person. Spade looked back at the lake, satisfied. He thought the conversation would end there, but luck wasn’t on his side.  
“Why?” Asgore pressed an even simpler question. Spade raised an eyebrow.  
“What do you mean why? It’s simple.” Spade spoke with a huff, “He claimed they cared about him, so I would either prove him wrong, or show him what happens when he gets too attached.” There was an unsettling grin on his face as he spoke, but it faded quickly. The memory was an unpleasant one, despite what Spade would like others to believe.  
“… The threat was empty, wasn’t it?” Asgore said in an unfamiliar tone.  
“What?!” Spade looked at him in shock, “How DARE you-” but this time, Asgore interrupted  
“If I’m not mistaken, your targets were the erm… “lightners”, correct?” Asgore spoke rather calmly “You wanted to avoid confrontation, like you are right now… The threat was merely a distraction, no?” Spade could only let out a stutter in response, he wasn’t used to being read like a book like this. This was NOT what he expected this conversation to be…  
Without prompt, Asgore went on “You don’t even want to be in the same room as them… not even in the same room as me…” Something shot up Spade’s spine as he looked away. He couldn’t bare to look him in the eyes, not after being practically humiliated like that. But it didn’t quite feel like he was being scolded, no, it felt worse. Why did it feel worse…?

A soundless minute persisted. It felt as if the very sounds of the surroundings had quieted down to let these two speak of this, but that was clearly untrue. The leaves fell and water rippled just like before. Not quite wanting to end the conversation there, Asgore pressed further.  
“Your son is the one who exiled you, isn’t he?” His words weren’t anywhere near assertive, but it never took much to drive Spade off the edge.  
“Why do you even care?!” He snapped back at Asgore, he didn’t like where this conversation was going one bit… probably.  
“It’s just… the way you act, I can tell something’s wrong… I really don’t mean to pry but, you seem so…” Asgore’s genuine words were cut off by Spade’s brash instincts.  
“What? Out of place? Angry? Miserable? I’m SUPPOSED to be those things, having been imprisoned, then EXILED by my own son-”

“You seem scared.” Asgore’s quiet voice rang out, resonating more than Spade’s empty words, then a silence broke out. Deafening, unending, tense silence. Spade didn’t say a word, not a stutter, not a sound. He was prepared to lie about anything, but now he didn’t feel like he even COULD lie. This man had read him like a book again, and he could do it once more, so what was the point? Although covered by his cape, Spade felt more exposed than he had been in years.  
Asgore hadn’t continued his thought from there, either. He wanted to hear something from Spade, something honest. Remorse and regret seemed too far fetched, but Asgore held out hope for SOME kind of reasonable response. Spade wasn’t like anyone he had ever met, and he didn’t even want to try and predict what he would do. He hoped for a reply, but he got none. As they both stared off into the lake, they both thought about how the other wasn’t going to say anything. By accident, they spoke at the same time.  
“It’s not-” “How would-” Realizing their mistake, they both stopped.  
“Sorry, after you!” Asgore offered. With a sigh, Spade went on.

“... How would YOU react if beings you revered as gods abandoned you one day? No warning, no reason, no remorse. Just left you, and your people, to rot without purpose.” His words were calculated, almost practiced.  
“… Gods?” Asgore raised an eyebrow.  
“You lightners know nothing, do you?” Spade scoffed.  
“I'm afraid the concept of lightners and darkners is still new to me!” Asgore tried to lighten the mood with a chuckle, but Spade was unmoved.  
“YOUR kind were seen as saviours, sacred beings that could make us feel fulfilled, if only we SERVE your every desire.” Spade’s voice was bitter, frustrated, but he only went on “Like parasites, throughout history, lightners would depend on darkners, but give little to nothing in return, but ‘fulfilment’ and ‘purpose’...” He practically spat those few last words out.  
Asgore was truly taken aback. “… Golly… had I known-” but Spade was having none of it.  
“Spare me your pity, you hypocrite! I know what you plan to do.” Somehow, his tone got even nastier than before.  
“Plan… to do?” Asgore was unsurprisingly confused.  
“As if I've never seen a manipulator at play, you dense man.” Spade thought he had Asgore all figured out, and spoke with as much confidence as possible. “You're trying to earn my trust, waiting for me to let my guard down. And once I do, you'll use me for whatever you see fit, only to cast me back into nothingness, like your kind did so many years ago.”  
“What? I would never-” As Asgore’s words became shaky, Spade’s only got clearer.  
“You expect me to bow to you, then? To know my place? You think just because you help me for one night, you're entitled to my favour!” Each word he spoke had a history of use.  
“Of course not-” Asgore tried to reason.  
“THEN WHY ARE YOU HERE?!” Spade’s voice rang one more time. The water below them flinched, but Asgore did not.  
“... I'm here to keep you company, didn’t I say that at the very beginning?” Asgore’s words were grounded again, but only for a little while.  
“So what if you did? That tells me nothing of your motivation, it only tells me your alleged goal.” Spade’s paranoia started peeking through his words again.  
“My... motivation? For keeping you company?” Asgore squinted down at the water.  
“Yes, for crying out loud, that was my question from the start!” Spade groaned, but left room for Asgore to answer.

But Asgore did not answer. He was genuinely puzzled by this. He looked at the far edge of the lake, on the opposite side to them. He had never really questioned why he wanted to be there for people. He knew he had good intentions, he wasn’t about to doubt that, but that little word stuck to him, “why”. Why was he trying to help someone he’s heard nothing but awful things of? Even if he could tell Spade was hurting in some way, why did he bother? It took a minute, but Asgore realized, or maybe remembered.  
“Everyone deserves a second chance.” He said, softly.  
“… What are you talking about?” This time, Spade was confused.  
“You've done bad things, you've hurt people but... hurting you back won't solve anything. If your family doesn't want you around anymore, then...” Asgore made an uncomfortable pause. He frowned for a moment, but looking back at Spade’s shocked expression, he smiled again. Spade finally seemed interested in what Asgore wanted to say…

“... If no-one else wants to help you, why wouldn't I?” Asgore relaxed his expression.  
“… You didn’t finish your thought.” Spade observed. “ ‘If your family doesn’t want you around, then’…?” Asgore recoiled a bit. He didn’t want to finish that thought. He should’ve chosen his words better. Spade sprawled a grin over his face again. “Here, I’ll finish it for you.”  
“Wh-what? You don’t have to…” A colour of sadness peered through Asgore’s eyes.  
“It’s simple.” Spade didn’t hesitate. “Your family are the people closest to you, correct? In theory, they should be there for you no matter what, right?” Spade was gesturing with his hands too, now.  
“… Yes, that is true…” Asgore’s eyes darted around.  
“Then, if THEY aren’t willing to stick by you, no-one will. And what does THAT tell you?”  
Asgore was starting to be physically drained by the direction this conversation took, but Spade waited for an answer. “It tells you… that you are no-one without your family, doesn’t it…?”

“What?! No!” Spade was genuinely offended at that remark, and Asgore looked up at him, just as confused, perhaps a little teary-eyed. Spade almost literally backed away from him as he elaborated “It tells you that you cannot live for anyone but yourself! Especially not strangers! What on earth is wrong with you?!”  
Asgore had nothing to reply with but a quiet stutter.  
“Were you trying to convince ME of that?” Spade still thought Asgore a manipulator. “Too late, ‘pal’, I already disowned 90% of my kin when I gained power, and I just might disown 100% of it if Lancer keeps up these shenanigans.”  
Asgore stayed just as speechless. WAS something wrong with him?  
“ ‘No-one without your family’, are your lightner customs so twisted that you feel your sense of personhood is derived from nothing but other people?!” Spade’s demeanour was back to being accusatory, but not aimed at Asgore himself, somehow, who was currently too busy in his own thoughts to reply coherently. Why was all of this resonating with him? Why does he feel like Spade is saying exactly the things Asgore has thought of, but was too scared to explore? He knew very well Spade wasn’t RIGHT in what he was saying, but Asgore couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t WRONG, either. Asgore couldn’t remember the last time he did something only for himself, and no-one else… Why was that? Was he used to it that way? Was it something else entirely?  
Spade’s words broke the silence again “If that WERE the case then... I suppose lightner and darkner culture isn't too dissimilar. Common ancestors, perhaps..?” He was mostly thinking out loud, but sharing his undeveloped thoughts wasn’t something he did often like this.  
“It’s… not normal… I think…” Asgore mumbled, still trying to process the flood of doubt he was feeling.  
“What was that?” Spade seemed at least vaguely interested to keep up with what Asgore was talking about.  
“I've... only ever seen myself as ‘good’... when I was helping other people... Is that not... normal?” Asgore’s words fell heavier than Spade expected. He didn’t even know where this was coming from.  
“... No? Not at all, in fact.” Spade offered his honest opinion, “At the very least, I expected LIGHTNERS of all people to have a constant sense of self-entitlement. Either you're lying to me, or you're more of an anomaly within your own kind than I am in mine.”

Another silence ensued as Asgore began reflecting on this all. He wasn’t prepared to start thinking about things like this god knows how early in the morning. Spade however stayed vigilant. He looked over his shoulder at Asgore, he was expecting a crack in the façade. He was expecting Asgore to try and hammer home just how similar the two of them must be, or something of the like, to make Spade arbitrarily trust him. Nothing of the sort happened though. Asgore was just looking out into the night, wrapped up in his own thoughts, ones that Spade contributed to. Asgore knew something was wrong with himself, but he never would’ve guessed it had anything to do with the way he treated people. He always made sure to put others first, and never really questioned it, but now it seemed like that could be the cause for his feelings of alienation from everyone else. Did he ever really feel like he was part of the community for being himself, or was it for what he promised to bring with him?  
Spade couldn’t tell any of this though, all that he saw was self-reflection. About what, he couldn’t tell either, but he knew he was the cause of it. He managed to convince someone to rethink things about themselves, and it felt good. It made Spade feel… important again. He finally stopped staring Asgore down with a judgemental gaze and turned to the lake instead. It all felt so peaceful, and Spade wasn’t used to it. Asgore had nothing to gain from Spade, especially not in the predicament he’s in now, and probably will be for a while. Spade had nothing to gain from Asgore either, not in any long-term way, anyway. The roof over his head seemed like something Asgore didn’t even see as an issue, as he was just… so quick to offer shelter to a stranger. It was all so new to Spade, but he didn’t feel like complaining this time… not even a little… For once, he didn’t feel like he had just talked to someone beneath him, or talked down to someone above him. For the first time in ages, Spade felt like he was talking to an equal… And it didn’t feel normal at all, but maybe normal wasn’t such a great thing to begin with…

“… If, by chance, Lancer doesn’t send someone to bring me back to jail in the castle by tomorrow night… do you think I could sleep in your house again?” Spade’s usual tense speech seemed much more mellowed out now. Asgore’s racing thoughts stopped for a moment, and he looked over at Spade. This is the first time he’s been anything NEAR vulnerable around Asgore, so he smiled at him again.  
“Of course.” The doubt in his voice from before was gone.  
“Good, because it was either you agreeing to let me stay or me breaking into your house at night.” Spade laughed after his own words, and Asgore soon followed.  
“Well, I may have only one bed, but I still care about helping as much as I can. You can stay for as long as need be!” They both wanted to forget the tension from before.  
“… Good.” They both just wanted to feel understood.  
A moment of welcome calm arose…  
“… and, thank you” Spade’s voice was almost inaudible. Asgore was a good listener though.  
“… Thank you, too. I don't think I've had a talk like this with someone in... err, I don't think I've ever had a talk like this!” Asgore looked over at the lake again, as Spade began to chuckle, then laugh. It was a deep and growly sound, but it was heartfelt nonetheless.  
“I’ll take that as a compliment, then!” Spade asserted.  
“You should!” Asgore happily replied.

The moment of calm returned, and lasted a little while longer. A few minutes, then an hour, then it was clear they were both just waiting for the sunrise, too tired of the night to give it their dreams.

**Author's Note:**

> Good holy Christ this took me longer to write than necessary. This fic started more as a dialog chain with minor descriptions mixed in, but then i fleshed it out into this abomination?? Does anyone even care to read this whole thing through?? If you're reading this I'm assuming you do, so thank you. This is also my first time posting a fic, and the 3 AM daze really isn't doing me any favours. The school year JUST started and I'm too busy writing about two emotionally damaged gay men spending time together by a lake for me to actually do any schoolwork, awesome. On a genuine note though, this crackship means a lot to me, strangely, and I plan to post more stuff of them in the future, either more delving away from Deltarune canon and into full on AU territory, or just one-offs in the same scenario I presented here, just expanded a bit. Thanks for reading and goodnight.


End file.
